Boiler-cleaner.



No. 669,746. Patented Mar. l2, i901. c. s. GABRIGUS.

B0|LER CLEANER.

7 Application filed June 6, 1900.) (No Mod'gI' 3 Sheets-Sheet II.

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'No. 669,746 Patented Mar. 12, l90l.

' c. s. GARRIGUS.

BOILER CLEANER.

(Application filed June 8. 1900.

3 Sheets-Sheat 2.

( No Model.)

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- L No. 669,746. Patanted'Mar. 12,1901.

c. s. GARRIGUS.

BUILEB CLEANER.

(Application filed June 6, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Modem o-unio. wnsumo'mu a c UNITED STATES OULBERSON S. GARRIGUS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOILER-CLEAN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 669,746, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed June 6,1900 Serial No. 19,265. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CULBERSON S. GABRI- GUS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Boiler- Oleaners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in that type or class of mechanical boiler-cleaners which collect and remove from the surface of the water within the boiler the scum and substances deleterious to the boiler and after separating the water and the scum return the former to the boiler in substantially a pure condition; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, and operation ployed, as the surface of the water wouldsometimes be above and again below it, thus preventing its proper action.

The objects of my invention, therefore, are to provide a boiler-cleanerwhich will automatically collect and carry off the scum on the water in the boiler at any and all variations in the height'thereof and to automatically separate the water from the scum and return the Water to the boiler.

Another object is to guide the flow of the scum to the skimmer and to preventitescap ing under the guide-pieces or skimmer.

Other objects and advantages will be disclosed in the subjoined statement.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which myinvention pertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmental View in elevation, partly in section, of the rear portion of a boiler, showing my cleaner in position and the parts in place ready for use and illustrating in section the precipitator. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cleaner removed from the boiler. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View of a portion of the boiler, showing the cleaner lo cated therein, as viewed from the rear thereof. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1, showing the means for coupling and pivotally securing a branch or member of the outlet pipe or tube. Figs. 5 and 6 are longitudinal sectional views of the rear portion of the boiler, showing the cleaner located therein and illustrating modifications in its construction.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

The numeral 10 represents a boiler of the ordinary or any prefered construction; but in the present instance I have shown it as being of the tubular type and having tubes 11, upon and above which the cleaner is supported. Passing through a suitable opening in the upper portion of the boiler is a pipe 12, which is connected at its outer portion to a pipe 13, leading to and communicating with the precipitator 14, which may be located at any suitable point near the boiler. The union of the pipes 12 and 13 is provided with a valve 15 to be used for regulating the [low of scum and water therethrough. At its lower inner portion the pipe 12 is provided with an offset and slight lateral tubular projection 16, communicating with the opening of said pipe, and which project-ion fits snugly in a lateral opening 17 near the front end of the swinging pipe or tube 18, thus forminga swinging or swiveled connection between the two pipes, the latter of which is provided at its rear end with a skimmer 19, which skimmer preferably has a flaring opening at its free end and is provided below said opening with a horizontal lip or flange 20, for the purpose presently to be explained. Embracing the offsets or coupling portions of the pipes 12 and 18 is a yoke 21, which is provided in its ends with set-screws or pivots 22, having pointed ends to engage the outer surfaces of said pipes, so as to allow thepipe 18 to swing freely. The front end of the pipe 18 is provided with a projecting rod 23, on which is adjustably secured, by means of a set-screw 24 or otherwise, a weight 25, used for counter- IOC balancing the swinging pipe 18 and its skimmer. Connected to thelower portion of the pipe 12 and to a horizontal pipe or rod 26 by means of a suitable coupling 27 is an extension 28, which may be a rod or pipe of anysuitable length and size. Secured to the front end of the coupling 27 is a plug 29, which is provided with a collar 30 to receive the supporting-standard 31, which may be held in place by means of a set-screw 32, and which standard is preferably provided with a foot or base 33 to rest on the tubes of the boiler or other supporting-surface.

The rear end of the horizontal rod or pipe 26 is provided with a coupling 27, plug 29, and su pporting-standard 31,similar to the ones just above described and connected to each other in the same way. Secured to the upper portion of the T-coupling 27, at the rear end of the rod or pipe 26, is a piece or casting 34, which serves the double purpose of supporting the guide-wings 35 and retaining or damming the scum, so that it will more readily pass into the mouth of the skimmer. The piece 34, which I will term the guidesnpport, is provided with a horizontal portion 36 and with an inwardly-bent vertical portion 37that is to say, the portion 37 is curved from the rear end of the boiler, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Hinged to the sides of the guide-support are the wings or guide-pieces 35,'which have their free ends shaped so as to rest near the sides of the boiler, thus preventing the passage of scum thereby. The guide-pieces 35 are employed to direct the flow or passage of the son n1 to their convergent ends, which are located near the rear end of the boiler or that end thereof farthest from the fire-box. Each of these wings or guide-pieces is provided at its bottom with a horizontal and inwardlyextending flange 39 and are of sufficient widthv to always extend above and below the waterline 40 whatever may be its variations in height. The lower portion of the wings or guides 35 and the horizontal portion 36 of the guide-support, as well as the lip 20 at the mouth of the skimmer, are employed to prevent the scum passing under by reason of the ebullition of the water and its current toward the rear of the boiler. Extending upwardly from the upper surface of the skimmer 19 is a standard 41, which is provided at its upper end with a cross-piece 42, to the ends of which are secured floats 43, which are supported by the water in the boiler and hold the skimmer in such a position that its mouth or opening will intersect the water-line at all variations therein. The weight 25 is adjusted on the rod 23, so as to almost counterbalance the pipe 18 and its skimmer, thus leaving but little of the weight thereof to be supported by the floats, which will rise and fall with the water and always keep the skimmer in the proper position to receive the scum, as has been before stated.

The precipitator, which constitutes a part of my invention, comprises a vessel 44, closed at its top and bottom and preferably cylindrical in form and has a diaphragm or concavo-convex partition 45 located in its cavity. This diaphragm or partition has its convex surface toward the top of the vessel and is provided with a number of perforations 46 near its periphery or edge and its central portion closed, as is clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings.

Passing through the center of the diaphragm or partition and extending slightly below the same is a pipe 47, the other end of which communicates with the lower rear portion of the boiler, and said pipe is employed to return the water to the boiler after it has been separated from the scum, which will be deposited in the bottom of the vessel 44 and may be drawn off through the pipe 48, used for discharging the scum and sediment. The top of the precipitator is provided with a vent-cock 49 for the passage of cold air from the vessel. The end of the pipe 13, communicating with the precipitator, is provided with a nozzle 50, arranged tangentially to the inner surface of the vessel 44, so as to discharge and give to the water andscum a tangential or circling movement, as indicated by the arrows, the centrifugal motion of which will cause the heavier part to be thrown outwardly, so as to pass through the perforations 46 in the diaphragm or partition 45 and fall to the bottom of the vessel, the unperforated portion and convexity of the diaphragm serving to hold the end of the pipe 47 within the precipitator away from the scum as it passes through the said perforations and allow the substantially pure water to pass through the pipe 47 into the boiler. I

In Fig. 5 of the drawings I have shown a slight modification in the construction of the cleaner, which consists in pivotally securing to the pipe 12 one end of a bar or rod 51, the other end of which is connected to a link 52, pivotally secured to the skimmer and which link supports the cross-piece 42, to which the floats are secured. The object of this modification is to cause the floats to rise and fall Vertically in a line parallel Wit-h the pipe 12.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings I have shown another modification, the object of which is to cause the floats to rise and fail vertically and also to remove the weight or strain of the counterbalancing-weight for the swinging member 18 of the outlet-pipe from its pivotpoint or union with the vertical member 12 of the outlet-pipe. These objects I accomplish by pivotally securing to the skimmer one end of a link 53, to the other end of which is pivotally secured a lever 54, having an adjustable weight 55 and fulcrumedon an upright 56, which is supported by the rod or tube 26, in which case the guide-support 34 is adj ustably secured by means of a collar 57 and set-screw 58 to said upright. The link 53 carries a cross-piece 59, to which the floats are attached. In this modification I also prefer to connect the piece 28 by means of a suitable coupling 60 to the pipe 12 above its union with the pipe 18, as is shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

From the foregoing statement and by reference to the drawings it is apparent that the member 12 not only serves as a portion of the outlet-pipe, but also assists in supporting the cleaner, and that the supporting-standard 31 at the front of the cleaner may be omitted. As is well known, in the ordinary course of the circulation of the Water within the boiler the impurities rise to the top of the Water and move rearwardly at the surface thereof. For this reason I locate the guide as near the rear end of the boiler as may be convenient, and thus collect and retain the scum at the convergent end thereof till it is drawn 01f through the skimmer. To prevent the floats becoming weighted with the scum or sediment which might accumulate thereon, I prefer to locate them behind the guide, where they will be in comparatively pure water. The flanges 39 on the wings and the horizontal part 36 of the guidersupport will prevent the scum passing thereunder and cause it to be more readily taken up by the skimmer.

i Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a boiler-cleaner, an approximately horizontally disposed skimmer havingits end adjacent to the rear end of the boiler open, an outlet-pipe communicating at one of its ends with the skimmer, and at its other end with a prccipitator, a guide extending beyond and having its vertex near the open end of the skimmer, the said precipitator comprising a closed vessel havingin its interior a convex diaphragm perforated in its outer portion, but closed in its center, and a pipe communicating at one of its ends with the lower portion of the boiler and having its other end extending into the vessel and slightly through the central portion of the diaphragm,substantially as described.

2. In a boiler-cleaner, an approximately horizontally disposed skimmer having its end adjacent to the rear end of the boiler open, a member of an outlet-pipe communicating at one of its ends with the skimmer and pivotally secured at its other end, a guide comprising two divergent pieces or Wings having inwardly-extending flanges on their lower portions and hinged to a guide-support, said support located near the open end of the skimmer and having an inwardly-bent vertical portion and a horizontal part extending below the skimmer, and a float connected to said member of the outlet-pipe for normally holding the mouth of the skimmer on a line intersecting the water-line in the boiler, substantially as described.

3. In a boiler-cleaner, an approximately horizontally disposed skimmer having its end adjacent to the rear end of the boiler open, and provided with a lip on its lower part, an outlet-pipe communicating at one of its ends with the skimmer and pivotally secured at its other end, a guide comprising two divergent pieces or wings having inwardly-extending flanges on their lower portions and hinged to a guide-support, said support located near the open end of the skimmer and having an inwardly-bent vertical portion, and a float connected to said member of the outlet-pipe for normally holding the mouth of the skimmer on a line intersecting the water-line in the boiler, substantially as described.

4. In a boiler-cleaner, an approximately horizontally disposed skimmer having its end adjacent to the rear end of the boiler flaring and open and provided with a lip on its lower part, a member of an outlet-pipe vertically secured in the shell of the boiler, another member of the outlet-pipe communicating at one end with the skimmer and having a swiveled connection at its other end with the said vertical member, a yoke embracing said pipe members at their union, pointed pivots passing through the ends of the yoke and engag' ing the sides of said members, and a float connected to the swinging member for normally holding the mouth of the skimmer on a line intersecting the water-line in the boiler, substantially as described.

5. In a boilercleaner, an approximately horizontally disposed skimmer having its end adjacent to the rear end of the boiler flaring and open and provided with a lip on its lower part, a member of an outlet-pipe vertically secured in the shell of the boiler, another member of the outlet-pipe communicating at one end with the skimmer and having a swiveled connection at its other end with the said vertical member, a yoke embracing said pipe members at their union, pointed pivots passing through the ends of the yoke and engaging the sides of said members, a guide comprising two divergent wings or pieces having inwardly-extending flanges on their lower portions and hinged to a guide-support, said support located near the open end of the skimmer and having an inwardly-bent vertical portion and a horizontal part extending below the skimmer, and a float connected to the swinging member for normally holding the month of the skimmer on a line intersecting the water-line in the boiler, substantially as described.

OULBERSON S. GARRIGUS.

Witnesses:

CHAS. C. TILLMAN, A. GUSTAFSON. 

